LOCAL LAW NO. "G" FOR 2022
A LOCAL LAW OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK ESTABLISHING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR OPEN MEETINGS OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY TO PROVIDE FOR MEMBER VIDEOCONFERENCING IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES
Introduction: 6/13/22
By: Mr. A. Joyce
BE IT ENACTED by the Legislature of the County of Albany as follows:
Section 1. Legislative Intent and Purpose
All County bodies with final decision-making authority must comply with the New York Open Meetings Law. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, and pursuant to the various emergency executive orders of the Governor of the State of New York, the County Legislature and various County public bodies have been authorized to and have met remotely with great success.
In March 2022, the State Legislature enacted updates to the Open Meetings Law to allow for videoconferencing in non-state-emergency situations in limited circumstances. These updates authorize members of a public body who experience an "extraordinary circumstance" to attend meetings by videoconference: (i) as long as a quorum of the members attend in-person at one or more locations open to the public; (ii) as long as the member can be seen, heard, and identified while the open portion of the meeting is being conducted; and (iii) as otherwise permitted under State law. A member who participates from a remote location that is not open to in-person physical attendance by the public does not count toward a quorum of the public body, but may participate and vote if there is a quorum of members at the physical location(s) open to the public.
Under State law, advisory bodies are not "public bodies" as they do not have decision-making authority, and thus they do not need to comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law. There is tremendous value in ensuring that County advisory body meetings are open to the public and, as such, this Legislature finds that it is appropriate to continue to permit County advisory boards with no final ...
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